When talks adjourned on Thursday, it was understood that the party’s rabbinical leaders would announce a decision over the weekend, but the decision has not been made.
Seeking to bring the hareidi-religious party into the coalition, Kadima has offered to raise child allowance for families with four or more children by NIS 500 a month. Families with four children under the age of 18 currently receive approximately 800 shekels ($180), while 5-children families receive 1,130 shekels ($250).
Senior party official MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz told the media last week that in addition to the monthly child allowance payments, which is a major issue, there are other issues of significance that must be resolved including funding to hareidi-religious institutions of learning, and opposition to civil marriage.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has instructed his team to exhibit flexibility, realizing his current government coalition is too weak to make significant inroads. The present coalition includes Kadima, Labor and the Sephardic religious Shas Party, totaling 67 seats of the 120-seat Knesset. Bringing UTJ into the coalition fold would increase that majority by six.
Seeking to bring the hareidi-religious party into the coalition, Kadima has offered to raise child allowance for families with four or more children by NIS 500 a month. Families with four children under the age of 18 currently receive approximately 800 shekels ($180), while 5-children families receive 1,130 shekels ($250).
Senior party official MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz told the media last week that in addition to the monthly child allowance payments, which is a major issue, there are other issues of significance that must be resolved including funding to hareidi-religious institutions of learning, and opposition to civil marriage.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has instructed his team to exhibit flexibility, realizing his current government coalition is too weak to make significant inroads. The present coalition includes Kadima, Labor and the Sephardic religious Shas Party, totaling 67 seats of the 120-seat Knesset. Bringing UTJ into the coalition fold would increase that majority by six.